Sequential cooling insert for turbine stator vane

Abstract

A sequential flow cooling insert for a turbine stator vane of a small gas turbine engine, where the impingement cooling insert is formed as a single piece from a metal additive manufacturing process such as 3D metal printing, and where the insert includes a plurality of rows of radial extending impingement cooling air holes alternating with rows of radial extending return air holes on a pressure side wall, and where the insert includes a plurality of rows of chordwise extending second impingement cooling air holes on a suction side wall. The insert includes alternating rows of radial extending cooling air supply channels and return air channels that form a series of impingement cooling on the pressure side followed by the suction side of the insert.

I claim the following: 
     
       1. An impingement cooling insert for a turbine stator vane of a gas turbine engine, the impingement cooling insert comprising:
 a pressure side wall; 
 a suction side wall; 
 an inlet cover plate with a plurality of cooling air supply openings; 
 the pressure side wall having a plurality of spanwise extending impingement cooling air holes channels; 
 the suction side wall having a plurality of chordwise extending impingement cooling air channels; 
 a plurality of radial extending cooling air supply channels alternating with a plurality of radial extending cooling air return channel; 
 the pressure side wall having a row of first impingement cooling air holes connected to each of the radial extending cooling air supply channels; 
 the pressure side wall having a row of return air holes connected to each of the plurality of cooling air return channels; 
 the suction side wall having a row of second impingement cooling air holes connected to each of the cooling air return channels; and, 
 the impingement cooling insert is formed as a single piece. 
 
     
     
       2. The impingement cooling insert of  claim 1 , and further comprising:
 the impingement cooling insert includes at least two radial extending seal grooves each extending a spanwise length of the insert. 
 
     
     
       3. The impingement cooling insert of  claim 1 , and further comprising:
 the impingement cooling insert has a radial height of less than one inch. 
 
     
     
       4. The impingement cooling insert of  claim 1 , and further comprising:
 the impingement cooling insert has a radial height of around ⅝ th  of an inch. 
 
     
     
       5. The impingement cooling insert of  claim 1 , and further comprising:
 the first rows of impingement cooling air holes is of a smaller diameter than the return air holes. 
 
     
     
       6. The impingement cooling insert of  claim 1 , and further comprising:
 a bottom cap to enclose the cooling air supply channels and the return air channels; and, 
 the bottom cap having a slot to position the impingement cooling insert within an airfoil. 
 
     
     
       7. An impingement cooling insert for a turbine stator vane of a gas turbine engine, the impingement cooling insert comprising:
 a pressure side wall; 
 a suction side wall; 
 an inlet cover plate with a plurality of cooling air supply openings; 
 a plurality of radial extending cooling air supply channels alternating with a plurality of radial extending cooling air return channels formed between the pressure side wall and the suction side wall of the insert; 
 the plurality of radial extending cooling air supply channels connected to the plurality of cooling air supply openings; 
 the pressure side wall having a row of first impingement cooling air holes connected to each of the radial extending cooling air supply channels; 
 the pressure side wall having a row of return air holes connected to each of the radial extending cooling air return channels; 
 the suction side wall having a row of second impingement cooling air holes connected to each of the cooling air return channels; and, 
 the impingement cooling insert is formed as a single piece. 
 
     
     
       8. The impingement cooling insert of  claim 7 , and further comprising:
 the impingement cooling insert includes at least two radial extending seal grooves each extending a spanwise length of the insert. 
 
     
     
       9. The impingement cooling insert of  claim 7 , and further comprising:
 the impingement cooling insert has a radial height of less than one inch. 
 
     
     
       10. The impingement cooling insert of  claim 7 , and further comprising:
 the impingement cooling insert has a radial height of around ⅝ th  of an inch. 
 
     
     
       11. The impingement cooling insert of  claim 7 , and further comprising:
 a bottom cap to enclose the cooling air supply channels and the return air channels; and, 
 the bottom cap having a slot to position the impingement cooling insert within an airfoil.